Tavern on the Green Will Reopen Fall of 2013

Finally. After years of drama and heated talks, Tavern on the Green has finally been reoccupied. The city granted the license to the Emerald Green Group, a Philadelphia-based restaurant group.

According to DNAinfo, Emerald Green will offer a locally sourced menu for 200 to 300 diners plus takeout meals. The executive chef will be Katy Sparks, who was a sous-chef at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill when it opened in 1991 and was also at Quilty's in Soho, where she won the Best New Chef Award from Food and Wine Magazine.

The new restaurant is expected to be more casual than its predecessors. The Crystal Room has been stripped away, and the dining room has been downsized.